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Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) played an important role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA). However, whether sorafenib could be used to suppress the EMT of HCC after insufficient RFA and further prevent the progression of residual HCC remains poorly unknown. Methods Insufficient RFA was simulated using a water bath (47 °C 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min gradually). MTT assay and transwell assay were used to evaluate the effects of sorafenib on viability, migration and invasion of HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells after insufficient RFA in vitro. After insufficient RFA, the molecular changes in HCC cells with the treatment of sorafeinb were evaluated using western blot and ELISAs. An ectopic nude mice model was used to evaluate the effect of sorafenib on the growth of HepG2 cells in vivo after insufficient RFA. Results HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells after insufficient RFA (named as HepG2-H and SMMC7721-H) exhibited enhanced viability, migration and invasion in vitro. Sorafenib inhibited the enhanced viability, migration and invasion of HepG2 and SMMC7721 cells after insufficient RFA. Molecular changes of EMT were observed in HepG2-H and SMMC7721-H cells. Sorafenib inhibited the EMT of HepG2-H and SMMC7721-H cells. HepG2-H cells also exhibited larger tumor size in vivo. Higher expression of PCNA, Ki67, N-cadherin, MMP-2 and MMP-9, was also observed in HepG2-H tumors. Sorafenib blocked the enhanced growth of HepG2 cells in vivo after insufficient RFA. Conclusions Sorafenib inhibited the EMT of HCC cells after insufficient RFA, and may be used to prevent the progression of HCC after RFA. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1949-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Traditional systemic chemotherapy does not provide survival benefits in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Molecular targeted therapy shows promise for HCC treatment, however, the duration of effectiveness for targeted therapies is finite and combination therapies offer the potential for improved effectiveness. Methods Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, and YC-1, a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) activator, were tested in HCC by proliferation assay, cell cycle analysis and western blot in vitro and orthotopic and ectopic HCC models in vivo. Results In vitro, combination of sorafenib and YC-1 synergistically inhibited proliferation and colony formation of HepG2, BEL-7402 and HCCLM3 cells. The combination also induced S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as observed by activated PARP and caspase 8. Sorafenib and YC-1 respectively suppressed the expression of phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) (Y705) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Combination of sorafenib and YC-1 significantly inhibited the expression of p-STAT3 (Y705) (S727), p-ERK1/2, cyclin D1 and survivin and SHP-1 activity compared with sorafenib or YC-1 used alone in all tested HCC cell lines. In vivo, sorafenib-YC-1 combination significantly suppressed the growth of HepG2 tumor xenografts with decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis observed by PCNA and PARP. Similar results were also confirmed in a HCCLM3 orthotopic model. There was a reduction in CD31-positive blood vessels and reduced VEGF expression, which suggested a combinational effect of sorafenib and YC-1 on angiogenesis. The reduced expression of p-STAT3, cyclin D1 and survivin was also observed with the combination of sorafenib and YC-1. Conclusions Our data show that sorafenib-YC-1 combination is a novel potent therapeutic agent that can target the STAT3 signaling pathway to inhibit HCC tumor growth.

Background Residual tumor progression after insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been recently reported. However, whether epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is a key process that drives cancer metastasis, is involved in the tumor progression after insufficient RFA is not well understood. Methods Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines SMMC7721 and Huh7 were used. Insufficient RFA was simulated using a water bath (47°C 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min and 25 min gradually). MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro. Migration and invasion of HCC cells were determined by transwell assay. The molecular changes in HCC cells after insufficient RFA were evaluated by western blot. LY294002 and PD98059 were used to treat HCC cells. An ectopic nude mice model and a tail vein metastatic assay were used to evaluate the growth and metastatic potential of SMMC7721 cells in vivo after insufficient RFA. Results SMMC7721 and Huh7 cells after insufficient RFA (named as SMMC7721-H and Huh7-H respectively) exhibited enhanced proliferation, migration and invasion (6.4% and 23.6%, 33.2% and 66.1%, and 44.1% and 57.4% increase respectively) in vitro. Molecular changes of EMT were observed in SMMC7721-H and Huh7-H cells. LY294002 and PD98059 inhibited the EMT of SMMC7721-H and Huh7-H cells. SMMC7721-H cells also exhibited larger tumor size (1440.8 ± 250.3 mm3 versus 1048.56 ± 227.6 mm3) and more lung metastasis (97.4% increase) than SMMC7721 cells in vivo. Higher expression of PCNA, N-cadherin and MMP-2 and MMP-9, was also observed in SMMC7721-H tumors. Conclusions Insufficient RFA could directly promote the invasiveness and metastasis of HCC cells. Insufficient RFA may promote the EMT of HCC cells through Akt and ERK signaling pathways.